


White Elephant in the Room

by TheSecretFandom



Series: Happy Holidays [3]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, F/M, white elephant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 09:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16930689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecretFandom/pseuds/TheSecretFandom
Summary: Betty and Jughead attend a White Elephant gift exchange, and somehow leave with the best gift in the house.





	White Elephant in the Room

**Author's Note:**

> Written for 8 Days of Reindeer Games (@riverdale-events on Tumblr)  
> Day Two: Dancer  
> Prompt: Presents- Shopping, cards, gift exchanges

Betty rang the buzzer for the apartment marked 'Andrews/Lodge.' It was time for Veronica's annual gift exchange, this time a White Elephant exchange instead of a Secret Santa. Jughead had refused to tell her what gift he had brought for the occasion, and she likewise.

"Fashionably late," Veronica's voice came through the speaker. "I like it."

She buzzed them in and the two took the elevator to the fifth floor where Archie and Veronica shared a two bedroom apartment. Both Archie and Veronica greeted them at the door, ushering them in to their mismatched home. Touches of both Veronica and Archie were present in the holiday décor. White and gold touches covered most of the apartment, but a few homemade ornaments from Archie's childhood hung on the tree.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" Betty greeted her fellow guests. Kevin and Moose were in the kitchen with Josie, while Reggie fiddled with the speakers. Christmas music poured loudly from the speakers before Reggie managed to turn the volume to an acceptable level. Toni and Cheryl were tangled together on the couch, barely noticing the new guests.

"Now that everyone's here. Let's all fill our glasses and get some food." Archie took the cookies that Betty had brought and added them to the table of treats in the kitchen.

"I'm sure everyone is familiar with a White Elephant gift exchange, but humor me while I explain anyway." Veronica stood in front of the Christmas tree as her guests got cozy. She held out a handful of playing cards to her guests. "Everyone will get a number, one through ten. Number one gets to choose their gift first. Number two, can choose a gift and then either trade with number one or keep the gift they chose. Number three can trade with either person and so on."

"I call number ten." Reggie said.

"Not so fast, Reginald. You didn't let me finish." Veronica started offering up cards to her guests. "At the very end, the person with number one will get the chance to trade the gift they have with anyone. So, number one is actually the best number to have. Do not reveal which gift you brought until the end."

Archie reached out to take a card. "Handsome goes first."

Reggie reached up next. "First is the worst, second is the best."

"Easy boys…" Cheryl took a card, followed by Toni. "The testosterone levels are getting a bit high in here."

Moose, Kevin, and Josie pulled their cards next. Jughead and Betty were last, save for Veronica. When they'd all chosen their numbers, Veronica sat down on the arm of Archie's chair and sipped her wine.

"Okay, who has number one?"

Jughead smiled, flipping his Ace card around for the others to see.

"Fuck you!" Betty gasped. She threw her own card down on the coffee table, revealing the two of diamonds.

"Tough luck babe." Jughead shrugged. He grabbed a large gift bag and returned to his seat next to Betty. He unceremoniously tossed the tissue paper on the floor. Something between a laugh and groan came out of his mouth, sounding more like a snort.

The first thing he pulled from the bag was a pair of bright pink crocs, followed by a children's make-up kit complete with lip gloss, eye shadow, and sticker gems. At the bottom of the bag was the game 'What do you Meme?'

"I think I sorely misunderstood what a white elephant gift exchange was." Jughead commented.

"Betty's turn!" Veronica nudged her with her foot.

Betty went for a medium-sized box wrapped in sparkling gold paper, knowing Veronica had wrapped this one. She peeled the paper away delicately. Betty had always found it difficult to rip through wrapping paper when it looked so beautiful. The gifts lay inside the box cushioned with tissue paper. She pulled out a vanilla bean candle, a tea tree oil face mask, and a jar of lavender bubble bath. Hidden underneath all of that was a navy blue journal with silver stitching.

"Oh, my God… please don't take this away from me." Betty begged. This was everything she needed for the world's coziest night at home… save for a tall glass of red wine.

"Good luck with that one, B." Veronica said. "I can see Cheryl eyeing that thing from here."

Sure enough, when they'd made it to the end of the line, Cheryl had number ten. Only one gift remained under the tree. A poorly wrapped box with a dent in the corner. She barely even looked at the box when she unwrapped it, revealing a six pack of beer and a gift card for Pop's taped on the box.

"Okay Betty, hand it over." Cheryl shoved the box toward Betty, and she had no choice but to do the same.

"I'll miss you spa night." She blew a kiss dramatically at the gift and passed it over. Betty handed her new gift to Jughead. "You can have the beer, but I will be taking that gift card."

"Fair enough." Jughead shrugged. "Hey, I get a chance to trade, right?"

"What, you don't want to keep the crocs?" Moose commented.

"In fact, I have had my eye on something else." Jughead flicked his eyes toward Cheryl. "Hand it over, Deadeye."

"What!?" She shrieked. "Absolutely not, you heathen. I don't want that disaster of a gift."

Jughead glanced to Veronica. It was her game after all.

"Sorry, Cheryl. That's how the game works."

Cheryl sighed, but finally let Jughead take the gift. Jughead passed it to Betty, who was currently sitting with only a fifteen dollar paper gift card to Pop's in her hands.

"An even trade?" Jughead said, just to her.

"God, I love you." Betty hugged him tight before admiring her gift again.

"Gag me." Cheryl rolled her eyes. She stood and returned to the kitchen to fill her glass of wine. "Merry Christmas, bitches!"


End file.
